November 2016 DC Public Charter School News

November 11, 2016

Celebrating DC's Public Charter Schools

20 Years of Public Charters Schools in Washington, DC

To commemorate 20 years of quality public charter school options, the DC Public Charter School Board (DC PCSB) partnered with P.A.V.E (Parents Amplified Voices in Education) to host a community event at DC Bilingual Public Charter School on November 17 to discuss the state of DC's public charter schools with education stakeholders. Students from Center City Public Charter School and Paul Public Charter School also performed. Public charter schools in Washington, DC have been a tremendous success for the past 20 years for two reasons: families can choose from unique schools and students receive a quality education. Public charter schools in this city are some of the best in the country, and students are performing better and schools are meeting higher standards year after year. Learn more about the state of public charter schools in the city here.

Recognizing Top-Performing "Tier 1" Public Charter Schools

Every year our School Quality Reports assess the performance of every DC public charter school. This year there are over 40 top- performing “Tier 1” schools – the most ever. More students attend Tier 1 schools than ever before. To celebrate their achievements, DC PCSB presented Tier 1 schools with an award at the National Press Club on November 16. Mayor Muriel Bowser joined the gathering and congratulated the school leaders, principals, staff, and board members in attendance. Learn more about the Tier 1 schools honored here, and for more information about the School Quality Reports and how each school in your ward was rated, click here.

Students of Public Charter Schools

Why I Love My Public Charter School

Photo Credit: Two Rivers Public Charter School

As a student at Two Rivers, I wake up knowing I'm going to a school where I have friends to bond with, and I won't get bullied. I especially like Spanish class. I struggle with it, but I like to grapple and take on challenges. At Two Rivers we acknowledge not only the bad things, but the good things as well. I also like Fall Festival. We get a break from learning, and we get the chance to make new friends. - Brian Roberts Jr., 7th grader at Two Rivers Public Charter School

School Stories

Howard University Middle School Students Learn from Cornell Ph.D Candidates

Photo Credit: Howard University Public Charter Middle School of Mathematics and Science

Cornell University has a long-standing partnership with the Howard University Public Charter Middle School of Mathematics and Science (MS2). Each year Cornell sends a few of their best and brightest Ph.D candidates to help foster the science portion of MS2's rigorous Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics curriculum This year, students were able to extract DNA, identify different properties of chemical reactions, balance pH and learn how varying pH levels affect the body.

DC International School: The Culture Friendly Schoolp;

Simon Rodberg, the founding principal at DC International School recently published an article in Educational Leadership about the importance of embracing cultural differences: Not every school has "international" in its name or a focus on language learning. But in a diverse society and with students heading for a fully globalized future, every school can—and should—be a culturally positive school. Read more here.

Students from The Next Step PCS Vote for the First Time

Photo Credit: The Next Step Public Charter School

Several students from The Next Step PCS exercised their right to vote for the first time on the last day of early voting in DC. The students waited in line for a couple of hours but felt proud of themselves after they cast their ballots! In preparation for the election, staff from DC's Board of Elections taught The Next Step PCS students how to vote by explaining the process and showing them the voting equipment used in an election. Additionally, The Next Step PCS held two voter registration sessions for students and staff in the beginning of the school year.

Upcoming Events

December 19 - Board Meeting

The Board will hold its next monthly meeting on December 19 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss various issues related to public charter schools and to hear from the public. The meeting will be held at DC Public Charter School Board offices (3333 14th Street NW, Suite 210). A meeting agenda will be available here.